The Pryce of history

JAMAICA HAS never produced a woman who has brought home an Olympic Games gold medal over the 400 metres.

That little fact of history may change in Paris. The event, which begins on Monday August 5, with the finals slated four days later on Friday August 9, should include national champion and record holder, Nickisha Pryce.

Pryce follows names like Lorraine Fenton-Graham with bronze in Sydney, Australia, in 2000; Novlene Williams-Mills, bronze at the 2008 Beijing Games, and Shericka Jackson, bronze at the Rio 2016 Games, to have made a mark in the event.

Pryce, in one year, has shown remarkable improvement over the one-lap event. A semifinalist at the Budapest World Championships last year, Pryce’s personal best in 2023 stood at 50.21 seconds.

Fast-forward to 2024, the 23-year-old, beginning with the NCAA Outdoor Division One Championships in the United States, has grown.

There, representing the University of Arkansas, Pryce produced a personal best and new national record of 48.89 seconds in the semifinals before going on to win the event.

She then won her second national championships in in 50.01.

Then just a few days ago, competing as a professional athlete for the first time in her Diamond League debut, she was at her super best, stopping the clock in a new national record 48.57. In the process, Pryce turned back the attentions of Budapest World Championships silver medallist, Natalia Kaczmarek, whose second place also came in a Polish national record, 48.76.

Pryce’s time also moved the meet record needle, replacing Sanya Richards-Ross’ 18-year-old mark of 49.05.

Still, Pryce won’t have things all her way with Tokyo Games silver medallist and world champion, Marileidy Paulino of the Dominican Republic, has dominated the event this year.

Running unbeaten all season, Paulino has a personal best of 48.76, done at the Tokyo Olympics. Heading into the Olympics though, Paulino has only gone 49.20, which would give her just the fifth-fastest time this year.

While Paulino could be her main rival here, others like Kaczmarek, Rhasidat Adeleke of Ireland, with a season best 49.07, and the United States duo of Kaylyn Brown, with a best of 49.20, and Kendall Ellis with 49.46, should make this a very special event.

But just on current form, the deceptively strong Pryce, could make history.